(a) The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with county child welfare agencies, foster parent associations, and other interested community parties, shall implement a unified, family friendly, and child-centered resource family approval process to replace the existing multiple processes for licensing foster family homes, certifying foster homes by licensed foster family agencies, approving relatives and nonrelative extended family members as foster care providers, and approving guardians and adoptive families. (b) (1) Counties shall be selected to participate on a voluntary basis as early implementation counties for the purpose of participating in the initial development of the approval process. Early implementation counties shall be selected according to criteria developed by the department in consultation with the County Welfare Directors Association of California. In selecting the five early implementation counties, the department shall promote diversity among the participating counties in terms of size and geographic location. (2) Additional counties may participate in the early implementation of the program upon authorization by the department. (3) The State Department of Social Services shall be responsible for all of the following: (A) Selecting early implementation counties, based on criteria established by the department in consultation with the County Welfare Directors Association of California. (B) Establishing timeframes for participating counties to submit an implementation plan, enter into terms and conditions for early implementation participation in the program, train appropriate staff, and accept applications from resource families. (C) Entering into terms and conditions for early implementation participation in the program by counties. (4) Counties participating in the early implementation of the program shall be responsible for all of the following: (A) Submitting an implementation plan. (B) Entering into terms and conditions for early implementation participation in the program. (C) Consulting with the county probation department in the development of the implementation plan. (D) Training appropriate staff. (E) Accepting applications from resource families within the timeframes established by the department. (5) (A) Approved relatives and nonrelative extended family members, licensed foster family homes, or approved adoptive homes that have completed the license or approval process prior to statewide implementation of the program shall not be considered part of the program. The otherwise applicable assessment and oversight processes shall continue to be administered for families and facilities not included in the program. (B) Upon implementation of the program in a county, that county shall not accept new applications for the licensure of foster family homes, the approval of relative and nonrelative extended family members, or the approval of prospective guardians and adoptive homes. (6) The department may waive regulations that pose a barrier to the early implementation and operation of this program. The waiver of a regulation by the department pursuant to this section applies to only those counties or foster family agencies participating in the early implementation of the program and only for the duration of the program. (7) This subdivision is inoperative on January 1, 2017. (c) (1) For purposes of this article, âresource familyâ means an individual or family that has successfully met both the home environment assessment standards and the permanency assessment criteria adopted pursuant to subdivision (d) necessary for providing care for a child placed by a public or private child placement agency by court order, or voluntarily placed by a parent or legal guardian. A resource family shall demonstrate all of the following: (A) An understanding of the safety, permanence, and well-being needs of children who have been victims of child abuse and neglect, and the capacity and willingness to
‹ Prev All California sections Next ›
Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.